Clematis Plant Named &#39;Evipo103&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new  Clematis  plant with a compact growth habit, profuse, red purple flowers, and continuous summer flowering. The variety successfully propagates from softwood cuttings and is suitable for cultivation in commercial nursery culture. This new and distinct variety has shown to be uniform and stable in the resulting generations from asexual propagation from vegetative cuttings.

Botanical classification:

Genus: Clematis.

Species: viticella.

Variety denomination: ‘Evipo103’.

This application claims priority to Plant Breeder's Rights ApplicationNumber 2020/2276, which was filed at the Community Plant Variety RightsOffice in the European Union on Sep. 21, 2020, the contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

SUMMARY OF THE CLAIMED PLANT

The present invention constitutes a new and distinct variety of Clematisplant which originated from a controlled crossing between the femaleseed parent, an un-named seedling, and the male pollen parent, anun-named seedling. Both parent varieties are non-patented.

The two parents were crossed during the summer of 2006 and the resultingseeds were planted the following winter in a controlled environment inGuernsey, Channel Islands, United Kingdom. The new variety named‘Evipo103’ originated as a single seedling from the stated cross.

The new clematis plant may be distinguished from its female seed parentand male pollen parent by the following characteristics. The female seedparent has mauve tepals while the new variety has red purple tepals. Themale seed parent grows to a height of 80 cm in one season, while the newvariety grows to a height of 50 to 60 cm.

The objective of the hybridization of this clematis plant was to createa new and distinct variety for nursery culture with unique qualitiessuch as:

-   -   1. Uniform and abundant red purple flowers;    -   2. Vigorous and very compact, mounding growth habit, making the        variety suitable for container culture; and    -   3. Improved disease resistance.

This combination of qualities was lacking in clematis plants that werein commercial cultivation and the qualities have been substantiallyachieved in the new variety.

‘Evipo103’ was selected by Mogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison intheir clematis development program in the Channel Islands, UnitedKingdom in 2007. Asexual reproduction of ‘Evipo103’ by means ofvegetative cuttings and traditional layering was first performed byMogens N. Olesen and Raymond J. Evison in the nursery during the summerof 2007. This initial and subsequent asexual propagations havedemonstrated that the characteristics of ‘Evipo103’ are true to type andare transmitted from one generation to the next.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The accompanying color illustrations show as true as is reasonablypossible to obtain in color photographs of this type the typicalcharacteristics of the buds, flowers, leaves, and stems, of ‘Evipo103’.Specifically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawings are open flowersviewed from above and underneath, and tepals detached revealingreproductive flower parts. FIG. 2 shows a flowering branch, bare stem,and leaves detached. Illustrated plants are 2 years of age.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of ‘Evipo103’, as observed inits growth outdoors throughout the flowering period in Odense Denmark.Observed plants were cultivated for a period of 24 months in 2 litercontainers. Certain phenotypical characteristics of the variety may varyunder different environmental, cultural, agronomic, seasonal, andclimatic conditions. Color references are made using The RoyalHorticultural Society (London, England) Colour Chart, 2001, except wherecommon terms of color are used.

For a comparison, several physical characteristics of the clematisvariety ‘Evipo070’ described and illustrated in U.S. Plant Pat. No.27,254 are compared to ‘Evipo103’ in Chart 1.

CHART 1 ‘Evipo103’ ‘Evipo070’ Flower diameter 110 mm 130 mm Tepal upperRed-Purple Group Red-Purple Group 61A surface upon 60B with intonationsopening of Red-Purple Group 61C Tepal count 8 6

-   Flower and flower bud:    -   -   Blooming habit.—Continuous. The natural flowering period is            generally from April to September.        -   Flower bud.—Size: Normally 30 mm in length. Bud diameter is            11 mm. Bud form: Long campanulate, broad based. Bud color:            Yellow-Green Group 144B. Texture: Pubescent.        -   Pedicel.—Surface Texture: Smooth, lightly pubescent. Length:            On average 25 to 30 mm in length with 2 mm diameter. Color:            Yellow-Green Group 144A. Strength: Moderately strong.        -   Receptacle.—Surface Texture: Lightly pubescent. Shape: Broad            funnel. Size: 2 mm (h)×5 mm (w). Color: Yellow-Green Group            144A.        -   Flower arrangement.—Location on vine: New growth only.            Borne: Singly and clusters of 3 to 9 flowers per flowering            branch.        -   Flower bloom.—Size: On average, flowers are 110 mm in            diameter and 15 mm in depth. Profile: Open flowers are            nearly flat. Fragrance: None. Lasting Quality: Flowers            normally remain up to 14 days on the plant.        -   Tepals.—Tepal Color: Upon opening, the upper surface of            tepals are Red-Purple Group 60B with intonations of            Red-Purple Group 61C. The tip of the apex is White N155B.            The lower surface is Purple Group 76A and Purple Group N77B            towards the margins. There is a central bar of Greyed-Green            Group 193B. Quantity: Normally 8 tepals. Size: 65 to 70 mm            in length by 38 mm wide. Shape: Individual tepal shape is            elliptic. The tepal apex is mucronate. The tepal base acute.            Apex Recurvature: None. Tepal Cross section: Flat. Margins:            Entire. Moderately undulated. Persistence: Tepals drop off            cleanly.        -   Reproductive organs.—Pollen: None observed. Anthers: Size:            About 8 mm in length. Color: Greyed-Yellow Group 160D.            Quantity: On average 35. Filaments: Color: White N155C with            colorations of Violet Group 86C at base. Length: 10 mm.            Pistils: Quantity: On average, 20. Stigmas: Inferior in            location relative to the length of the filaments and the            height of the anthers. Styles: Color: Yellow-White Group            158B. Length: 10 mm.        -   Seed head characteristics.—Seed not observed to date.-   Plant:    -   -   Plant form.—Mounding.        -   Plant growth.—Very compact.        -   Size.—Seasons growth attains 50 to 60 cm in height. Average            spread is 40 to 50 cm.        -   Stems.—Color: Juvenile stems are Yellow-Green Group 144A.            Mature stems are Greyed-Orange Group 166B. Internodes: On            average, 70 to 85 mm between nodes. Length: Normally 20 cm            from the base of the plant to the flowering portion of the            stem. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture: Mature stems are            ribbed.        -   Plant foliage.—Leaf characteristics: Deciduous. Arrangement:            Trifoliate. Leaf Size: Compound leaves are about 120 mm            (1)×130 mm (w). Leaflets are about 60 mm (1)×36 mm (w).            Abundance: On average leaves per 10 cm of stem. Leaf Color:            Juvenile upper Yellow-Green Group N144A. Juvenile lower            Yellow-Green Group 144A. Mature upper Yellow-Green Group            144A. Mature lower Yellow-Green Group 144B. Stipules:            Absent. Petioles: Size: Normally 50 mm in length by 2 mm            diameter. Texture: Smooth. Color: Yellow-Green Group 144A            with intonations of Greyed-Purple Group 183A. Petioloule:            Size: About 30 mm in length by 2 mm diameter. Leaflet Shape:            Cordate. The base is rounded or oblique, and the apex is            acute. Margin: Entire. Surface: The upper side is smooth,            the lower side is smooth. Thickness: Moderate. Glossiness:            Moderately glossy.        -   Disease resistance.—Subject to any disease that normally            attacks the species. However the variety is more tolerant to            clematis wilt, Ascochyta clematidina, than some clematis            known to the inventors.        -   Cold hardiness.—The variety is tolerant to USDA Hardiness            Zone 6.        -   Heat tolerance.—The variety has been found to be suitable            for climate conditions found in the American Horticulture            Society heat zone 7.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of clematis plant named‘Evipo103’, substantially as described and illustrated , due to itsabundant red purple flowers with good keepability, attractive longlasting foliage and compact growth, year round flowering underglasshouse conditions, suitability for production from softwood cuttingsin pots, durable flowers and foliage which make the variety suitable fordistribution in the floral industry.